By law, AEI tags are outfitted on all railcars traveling on shared track in North America. Each carries 7 unique, key data points – car owner, car number, equipment type, length, axel count, bearing type, and which side of the car the tag is placed on. As of today, this is the only information that AEI tags can carry, but these seven data points alone can provide powerful railcar tracking and indentification solutions for shippers, railroads, and maintenance teams alike.
With the mandates and infrastructure there, taking advantage of this data can be crucial to the efficiency and accuracy that a supply chain is able to achieve. By adding an AEI system to your operation, you eliminate the potenital for error across many critical junctures; whether it be eliminating the need for double entry or automating processes like loading and offloading.
Because of this, the industry has taken steps to modernize and adapt to railcar identification systems, as it surely isn't going anywhere and will continue to evolve technologically to improve efficiency and reliability of moving freight by rail.
There's no bad time to start thinking about an AEI system for your operation, and our experts are happy to walk you through what it could look like for you personally. INet’s site consulting services can help you think through the best strategic position(s)for AEI scanners throughout a facility so that you see and are notified of each railcar that enters and exits your yard, as well as integration to most existing rail scales to automate the collection of car weights as well. And for operators in certain settings like storage yards, inspection areas, and load bays that prefer a more mobile option to help in reaching and scanning cars and completing operations activities, mobile AEI scanners are a powerful, on-the-go option in leveraging AEI tag’s technical potential for your supply chain. For more information on AEI systems and railcar tracking, get in touch with us at sales@inetlp.com or give us a call at (833) AEI-TAGS.